-- Remove from the case the law firm that represents Bruce. King said partner Leon Handley is a key witness to the alleged extortion.

A lawyer in Handley's firm, Ron Harrop, said the extortion claim is false and was ''designed for the sole purpose of engineering the removal of Leon Handley.'' He said Handley should remain as Bruce's lawyer at least until the case goes to trial.

-- Force Handley and two other lawyers for Bruce to answer pretrial questions. They have declined, citing lawyer-client confidentiality. King said their testimony is not protected by confidentiality and is crucial to the extortion claim.

-- Bar Bruce's lawyers from asking the other family members pretrial questions relating to the criminal allegations until state and federal investigations are resolved. If anyone were convicted and made an appeal, the delay could be years, Cornelius noted.

King contended that the delay would protect Bruce's relatives against hurting themselves in the criminal investigations, without seriously hampering Bruce's lawsuit. The suit alleges that his relatives conspired to force him out of the family business, wiretapped and slandered him, had him watched, and tried to have him committed.

Harrop replied that without the criminal allegations, a jury would find Bruce's civil accusations against his relatives ''incomprehensible.'' They can protect themselves ''by taking the Fifth Amendment,'' the constitutional protection against self-incrimination, Harrop said.

King said his clients should not be ''put to the indignity of having to take the Fifth before the world.''

Cornelius denied Harrop's request to throw out the extortion countersuit. The judge said he will rule this week on the other issues.

In a separate case, testimony continued Wednesday in the trial of a suit by Champ and partner Robert Langford to force the city of Orlando to let them build a hotel at the airport under a 1965 agreement. The trial is expected to end Friday.